The Inebriated Realization
by DrummerGirl66
Summary: (One Shot) When Amy gets a little too drunk at girls night, she reveals some feelings to Sheldon. How will he react? Will these feelings send him away or make him realize that maybe, just maybe, feelings aren't such a bad thing to have?


Sheldon never approved of the idea of getting drunk to somehow make an evening more enjoyable.

His girlfriend had been roped into a night of careless alcohol intake accompanied by hazardous dancing around Penny's apartment and the slurred gossip making its way between the three women that were having what they liked to call 'Girls Night'.

Amy did not partake in this social convention as often as Penny and Bernadette; none the less, Sheldon still disapproved of it entirely and found himself constantly worrying about the state of his girlfriend until he was sure she was home safe at the end of the evening. Tonight, he knew by observing her in her drunken state that getting home safe and sound wasn't going to happen without some help.

"S-Shelllldoonnn, what are you doing here? Coming to join the party?" a drunken Penny asked when she answered the door after Sheldon did his signature knock. He gave her an instant look of disapproval accompanied by a scoff as he made his way past her into the apartment.

"I can hear you guys across the hall screaming the words to inappropriate songs and dancing around like a bunch of hooligans". Sheldon shook his head and made his way towards Amy, who was attempting to climb onto Penny's dining table and start partaking in the absurd dancing he was just speaking of.

"Come on Amy, you need to get home. You will definitely be in a state of regret tomorrow morning when you wake up feeling dehydrated and nauseous thanks to this poison you ingested tonight". He grabbed her arm and pulled her off the chair. She stumbled and fell into his chest, causing her to bust into a fit of giggling. Even in her drunken state she couldn't deny the exhilaration she felt being touched by her boyfriend.

"Aww, come on Sheldon! The party's jus' gettin' started! Dance with me!" She attempting to sway with her boyfriend haphazardly and he grabbed her and held her close, not wanting her to fall over and hurt herself.

"No the party is over for you, little lady. Come on, let's get you home"

"But Shelllddooonnn" Bernadette slurred holding a glass of some brown liquid that Sheldon could only identify as more poison. "You can't drive… and neither can Amy… how do you plan on getting her home?"

Sheldon hadn't considered that. Amy was in no state to operate a vehicle, or even operate her own legs for that matter. Sheldon only had a learners permit; he was not about to try to learn the ways of the road tonight with his girlfriend passed out in the seat next to him. His only option was to take her back to his apartment so he could monitor her condition overnight.

"I suppose I have no choice but to take her with me to my apartment and away from you, you menacing heathens". Penny and Bernadette just laughed as Amy continued to hold onto her boyfriend, breathing in his scent and everything that made him… well, him.

"Come on Amy, let's go". He held onto Amy the way Leonard did the night that she was found drunk in the parking lot of a liquor store. He got her into the apartment but didn't make it very far as she practically fell onto the couch and let out another fit of giggles while reaching for her boyfriend. "Lay with me, Sheldon!"

_Good lord, this was definitely not how I planned on spending my evening. _Sheldon thought as he knelt down next to Amy. He could smell the alcohol on her breath and see the glossy effect that had taken over her sparkling green eyes that he loved so much.

"You need to lay here while I get you some water and aspirin, as you will need it in the morning. Thanks to your reckless activities, my night will consist of watching you sleep and making sure you don't choke on your own vomit. I hope in the morning when you wake up, you will realize that there is no need for such behavior and never partake in these…ridiculous girls nights anymore". He got up to go grab a glass of water when he heard Amy ask:

"You know what's ridiculous, Sheldon?"

Sheldon paused for a moment on his way to the kitchen, intrigued by her tone of voice but quickly realized she was in an intoxicated state and should disregard anything she said until the morning. Still, curiosity got the best of him and as he grabbed a glass and filled it with water he asked:

"What's that, Amy?"

Amy smiled and turned over on the couch so she could see him in the kitchen. She had an adoring look on her face and she watched Sheldon get the necessary items needed to take care of her. She took a deep breath and said:

"What's ridiculous is how much I care about you".

Sheldon froze again. Sure, he knew that Amy cared for him in the same way he cared for her. But the way she had said it… it had a new meaning to it. A new feeling behind it. A new… intensity. He grabbed the water and walked back over to the couch so he could sit next to Amy. He sighed.

"Amy, you are highly intoxicated right now so I can't take anything you say seriously until your brain is free from the poison that plagues the minds of today's society." Amy stopped him by grabbing his arm and sitting up to look at him.

"Sheldon I may have some alcohol in me, but that doesn't mean that what I'm about to tell you isn't true".

He should have stopped her right then. He should have told her not to speak of such nonsense and to get some sleep. He should have kept her from revealing her feelings to him at that moment, but curiosity got the best of him again. He waited for her to continue.

"Sheldon… I don't think you realize how much you mean to me. We've been together for a long time and I know that our relationship isn't what most people consider 'normal', but I want you to know that… I cherish every moment of it".

Sheldon felt like he couldn't move. A part of him was scared, scared of what she might say next. Another part of him, a bigger part, wanted to hear more. His heart fluttered with warmth hearing that despite his inconsistencies in their relationship, she cherished it and enjoyed it as much as he did. Because he really did; there was no doubt about that He took a deep breath and looked over at Amy, whose eyes were shining bright with admiration as she confessed her feelings to her boyfriend. He waited for her to continue.

"I appreciate everything you do for me Sheldon. I know that the idea of a relationship scares you, even though we've been in one for a while now. I know that doing all of the things normal couples do is off putting, but you still do them. For me. And for that, I will forever appreciate you".

Off putting wasn't the way Sheldon would describe showing his affection towards Amy. There were times when Sheldon appeared to disapprove of holding Amy's hand or showing any form of affection in public. The truth was that despite his objections, he loved every minute of it. Holding Amy's hand wasn't a chore to him, it was a source of comfort. It was something he had grown to anticipate and well… expect. Their date night kisses were also something he enjoyed immensely. Ever since the night on the train when he lunged into Amy out of anger, he couldn't get the feeling of her lips out of his mind. He couldn't get the taste of brownie off his lips and he couldn't get the feeling of what some might call 'butterflies' out of his stomach. It happened every time he kissed her. He felt excited all over again and often didn't want to stop, though he forced himself. Amy continued:

"I love everything about you, Sheldon. The way your mind words, your dry sense of humor, the way you put all of your effort into everything you do. You never go into something and just give up half way through; you're not a quitter. You will work and work until you finally get the answer you need. I love the way you look at me after we have an enjoyable date night. It's a look of respect, adoration, and… pride. Like you're proud to have me as your girlfriend. So no matter what happens, no matter how long it takes for you to feel completely comfortable with me, I will always be here, no matter what."

Sheldon felt an instant pain in his heart hearing that statement. It was true; he HAD been going very slow with Amy. Progress had been made, but what if he could never give her what she wanted? What she deserved? He slowly reached for her hand and gently intertwined his fingers with hers as he looked up at her with a disappointed face.

"Amy… I know we aren't where you would like us to be in this relationship. The truth is, I just… I need time! Maybe someday in the near futu-" He was silenced with Amy's finger being pressed to his lips. She smiled and leaned towards him and cupped his face with her hand.

"Sheldon, I know. Trust me; I am happy where we are at. And I never judge you for wanting to take things slow. Also, I won't push you anymore. I know sometimes I can be a handful, I can make suggestive comments that might make you feel uncomfortable but trust me, I love where we are at. I honestly believe that if you could give me everything I wanted, you would. But you can't, and that's fine".

It startled Sheldon to hear her say that. She knew that if he could, he would? Because it was true. Sheldon would give Amy the world if he felt as though he was capable. If could engage in coitus with her without a second thought, he would do it in a heartbeat. If he could make her feel half the love that she made him feel, he would do it. But he couldn't, not right now anyways, and she knew that. He smiled and relaxed his face against her soft hand and took a long, deep breath.

"Amy, I want you to be happy. I want to make you smile every day, I want to make you feel like you're the most important woman in the world. I want you to feel…" He paused. He couldn't say the word, even though he knew exactly what it was. _Loved._ She knew that though, she knew what he was thinking. Her response indicated that clearly.

"Sheldon, you've already given me more than I could have ever imagined. You've given me a life with friends, happiness, and a boyfriend who just so happens to be the smartest man on earth". _Well, can't argue that _He thought. "I love everything about our relationship. I love the way you value my intelligence and my work ethic. I love that you respect me for who I am and not for who society thinks I should be. I love the feeling I get when I hold your hand, I love when we kiss…I love everything. I love us. I love…" She paused and looked deep into his eyes and said it without a hint of regret. "You".

He should have been terrified. He should have felt lost, and scared, and worried. He should have ran away as far as he could… but he didn't. Instead, he leaned in and pressed his lips softly against hers. It was a feeling all too familiar but never one he tired of. This time though, he was a little braver. He parted his lips and pulled Amy's bottom lip into his mouth slowly and cherished the taste of her. She let out a small noise, similar to a quite moan and wrapped her arms around his neck gently, as though not to scare him. She was good about that.

Sheldon ran his tongue over her bottom lip begging for an invitation. She complied and opened her mouth and Sheldon slipped his tongue in Amy's mouth which was more than he had ever done before. Even though he could taste the alcohol that put her in this intoxicated state, he wasn't disgusted. He was… _fascinated._ Amy let out a more apparent moan and pulled herself onto Sheldon's lap and ran her fingers through his soft hair. Sheldon broke the kiss and breathed hard against Amy's neck as he felt her body so much closer to his than it had ever been before. He loved it, he wanted more. He wrapped his arms around her body as tightly as he could and placed a soft kiss on her neck before whispering

"I love you too, Amy"

He knew she probably wouldn't remember this tomorrow. He knew he shouldn't have said it when she was drunk like this. He knew that all of what she said could be gone tomorrow when she was sober, but right now he didn't care. He had every inch of her body pressed against his and still, he wanted her closer. She understood him, she respected him, and despite all that he had put her through, she loved him. That was more than Sheldon ever could have asked for. He felt Amy kissing his neck and he sighed, loving the feeling of her lips against his skin. He ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her head back so he could kiss her once more. As much as he was enjoying this, he knew it had to end. Amy was still drunk, and she needed rest. He pulled away from her and laid her down on the couch slowly.

"You need your rest, Amy. Don't worry, I'll be here with you all night, and I will be right here when you wake up". She was about to protest when exhaustion took over so she just nodded and closed her eyes. He pulled a blanket over her and sat beside her on the couch while gently stroking her hair. 

"Goodnight, Amy".

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Sheldon was right. The next morning Amy woke up nauseous, thirsty and with a headache that felt like Thor himself pounded on her head with his hammer. She was alarmed to see that she wasn't in her apartment; instead she was on Sheldon's couch, fully clothed and there was a glass of water and aspirin next to her on the coffee table. She looked up and saw Sheldon in the kitchen making Tea. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Good morning, Amy".

"Good morning, Sheldon. May I ask how I ended up here?"

"Well" he began as he made his way to the couch. "You were at Penny's apartment last night partying like a wild animal" She nodded and held her head.

"Yeah I got that"

"Well, you were in no state to drive, and I obviously couldn't drive you home so I took the liberty of making sure you were comfortable on the couch so I could watch over you and make sure you were okay". Amy smiled at this. Sheldon had small moments when he showed how much he cared about her and she really appreciated it. She hoped he knew that.

"Thank you Sheldon, that was very sweet of you. I'm sorry that I was so intoxicated you had to stop whatever you were doing to take care of me". Sheldon shook his head and sipped his tea.

"It was no trouble. Though… I do have a question". Amy looked up at him and nodded.

"What is it?"

"Well… do you remember anything about last night? Anything along the lines of… telling me how you felt?" Amy felt confused. What exactly did she do last night? She didn't express her love to Sheldon while downing a shot of tequila, did she? Lord, she could only imagine the ridiculous things she did in her inebriated state.

"What do you mean, Sheldon?" Sheldon paused. The feelings were gone. She couldn't remember them. She had no idea what she had told him that made him feel so… _alive._ Still, he pressed on.

"There was a moment last night when you expressed how much you cared about me. It was very… detailed. You told me you appreciated everything that I did. You told me that you would always be here, no matter what. It was…" Sheldon couldn't think of a word, but Amy cut him off before he could continue.

"Wait, you mean that wasn't a dream?"

So she did remember. Interesting. Sheldon shook his head and took another sip of his tea.

"No, it was very real".

Amy felt shocked. She couldn't believe she actually told Sheldon all of how she felt about him! And when she was drunk! She thought that moment was all a dream, then she remembered how he reacted… so that was real too?

"Sheldon, I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to throw all that on you last night. I know your probably wanting to run away right now, but listen I-" This time Amy was silenced with Sheldon's finger on her lips. She stared at him and he whispered

"Don't you dare take it back"

Amy was frozen with fear and surprise. She had expected Sheldon to run far away from her, to terminate the relationship agreement, to…do something that was _Sheldon_. Instead, he gave her a small smile and scooted closer to her.

"The feelings are mutual, Dr. Fowler". She shivered as she usually did when he used her professional name, but it wasn't just that. Was Sheldon really saying…?

"Sheldon, everything that happened last night…the kissing, the holding- you don't take any of that back?" Sheldon shook his head.

"Absolutely not, Amy. You made me realize that my fear of intimacy, of _love_ is completely irrational. You are so understanding, so caring, so… _Amy_". She smiled and looked into his eyes.

"Is that a good thing?" Sheldon grabbed both of her hands, placed soft kisses on both and pulled her to him so he could wrap his arms around her.

"Let me show you just how much of a good thing that is".


End file.
